Results 18,801-18,820 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: These questions all pertain to the same subject. The amount of repetition is bad enough as it is but it would be even worse if I answered them individually because many of them are the same but phrased in different ways.

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: We changed that for good reasons.

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: To prepare discussions on the growth agenda for the European Council on 28 and 29 June, President Van Rompuy convened an informal dinner meeting on 23 May, which I attended, for an open exchange of views. The Government has consistently argued that for Europe to move beyond its current difficulties, measures to ensure stability must be complemented and supported by an equal focus on the...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: I do not agree that the devil is in the principle here. The principle was very clear. As Deputy Martin knows, the European Council discussed, decided, agreed and signed off on its conclusions. The page in respect of the euro area summit statement is very clear: "We affirm that it is imperative to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns." This principle, which had not been...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: As the Deputy will be aware, the statement notes the following: "We affirm our strong commitment to do what is necessary to ensure the financial stability of the euro area, in particular by using the existing EFSF/ESM instruments in a flexible and efficient manner in order to stabilise markets for Member States respecting their Country Specific Recommendations and their other commitments...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: We can discuss the detail when we have statements in the House tomorrow. It is clear that Spain has had a problem for some time. Spain's formal request under the ESF for €62 billion and a cushion of up to €100 billion for its banks clearly presents a challenge for Prime Minister Rajoy in respect of dealing with his country's deficit while borrowing at rates of almost 7%. Prime Minister...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: On Deputy McDonald's question as to who wrote this, she will recall I wrote to all the leaders some weeks ago setting out the position. Ireland was the first country to suggest the ESM should be licensed for direct injections into banks, an idea which then became common currency. Before attending the meeting, I made clear there was a twin objective in this regard. The first was to reach a...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: In that sense, there was a willingness to understand the challenge and the difficulty our people have had in shouldering that liability in recent years, as well as the acceptance that breaking this would lead to a particular relevance for our country, as it has.

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: My point is a group comes forward with agreed papers. It is not a case of one person dictating what goes into it at a particular point. These groups of officials present papers to leaders, who then decide on the principles and the detail eventually is worked out. I note that before we ever got to that meeting, the Government had made it perfectly clear what was the Irish position. As I...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: -----which would allow for Ireland, in whatever circumstances, to be able to attend the first meeting of the ESM.

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: This is good news for the country and represents an opening of the doors of potential. Deputy Higgins mentioned being disorientated at 5 a.m. I have never suffered from that but were I disorientated, I would have begun to talk about travel expenses. Moreover, I might tell the Deputy the only evident elation was the buoyancy in the markets, which reflected the decision of the European...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: I hope such a progression will continue, whereby there has been a serious fall in interest rates for Ireland, as others consider us from abroad and conclude this is a country that is making steady progress in difficult conditions. As the Deputy is aware, markets anticipate and feed into their investment decisions how they view countries in respect of political stability, in the context of...

European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: As Gaeilge nó Béarla.

Order of Business (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: It it proposed to take No. 1, Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012 [Seanad] - Second Stage. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that the proceedings on Private Members' business, which shall be No. 32, Education (Amendment) (Protection of Schools) Bill 2012 – Second Stage, shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 9 p.m. on...

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: No, I do not get the impression that there is an assumption that small and medium enterprises and employers are under attack from the Government. People throughout the country understand that the difference between what we take in and what we spend is quite significant. The problem will not be dealt with by thinking about it, it requires political action. That is why this Government has...

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: I have no intention of being dragged into Deputy Martin's little game.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: It is important that there is certainty for every business, which is what has been wrong for so long. There was no sense of certainty, no plan and no strategy to deal with the problem we faced. That is partly why the Government reduced PRSI for employers and those with particular wage categories, which created substantial employment and made it easier for employers to hold onto employees.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: I will not get sucked into that attempt by Deputy Martin to have the Taoiseach involve himself in budgetary arguments.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: We have been very clear about this and we have set out our stall to have our deficit reduced to 7.5% next year. We have already made it clear that, in respect of the programme for Government, which is clear about these matters, ceilings have been set and Ministers will argue for their Departments around the Cabinet table.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2012)

Enda Kenny: This is July and the budget will be in the first or second week of December. A great deal of activity must be gotten through between now and then. Regrettably, it is not that I cannot answer Deputy Martin's question-----